Taxi Driver Online

I had a driver from another company come to see me the other day asking if we had a job for him doing a school run. He is fed up with being treated like s*** by the owner of the other company. He works with an escort on the current job and they would like to both come and work for me. As previously stated by me, I pay all drivers and escorts on the books at £7.50 per hour.
Now this driver asked me if I could pay him and the escort in cash because they are on benefits and the current company pay him £90 per week cash for around 25 hours work and the escort gets £3.00 per hour.
Of course I told him that I could only take them on the books.
The dilemma is this, having been given this information, should I report the matter to the benefits people or just keep out of it?

_________________
Grandad,

I'm not sure you have much of a choice.

Maybe you need to contact the inland revenue in relation to the allegation made about the firm.

_________________
IDFIMH

Tell him that if hes PAYE on a low wage (i assume it wont be 50 hours a week?) he qualifies for (maybe) WORKING tax credits, if he has kids he can get CHILD tax credits and also (on either) could get housing benefit plus free prescriptions, glasses and dental attention

ive helped three owner drivers i know with claiming tax credits and one who was afraid of going bankrupt due to common misconceptions

_________________
Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

dup post

_________________
Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

He is on incapacity benefit and can only earn £30 per week before losing his benefit.

_________________
Grandad,

steer clear then, hes lucky hes got his current "arrangement"

ive a family member, 4 kids, the bloke gets £100 paye and £300 cash, they get everything else and still plead poverty despite £700+ a week coming in

_________________
Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Best not to because these sort of people get very upset at being caught and you could end up severely out of pocket replacing slashed tyres etc.

I should leave it a few months and then send an anonymous letter to the benefits people with details of when and where he works its up to them then to investigate and catch him

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Grandad, on looking at the post from the driver in Leeds saying he is earning £4.50 an hour for 50 hours, your £7.50 is a good deal.

I REALLY don't like benefit cheats, but then I have a suspicion a lot of my passengers are! Some of the places I drop off and pick up at I would be worried about retaliation! Anonymous letter sounds like a plan to me.

The soap-dodgers off council estates who come out carrying cans of lager, stinking of cannabis who always pay with £20 notes ?

they come in all shapes and sizes, we had a neighbour (60 ish) who had her own council flat, stunk like a otters nest, on the sick, never lived in her flat, lived across the road with an older bloke ("we arent a couple") and the DSS and landlord (council) knew damn well what was going on but did nothing for 7 years

_________________
Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I would say nothing, if 99% of our MPs are allowed to get away with fiddling the Tax payer, why shouldn't mear mortals?

The other side of this is that I am trying to compete with this other company for school contracts. It's not easy when an escort is required and he pays £3.00 an hour.

_________________
Grandad,

The escort should also be paid the correct min wage

We know that she should but she is on benefits and doesn't want to come off. I have brought this subject up at the county council forum because loads of escorts are paid similar. The council are not interested because it would increase the cost of the school transport if things changed.

_________________
Grandad,

That means the council and the company are breaking the law